Trans Retail Indonesia, which operates TRANSMart, has teamed up with PT Bukalapak.com and Growtheum Capital Partners to launch a grocery shopping platform called AlloFresh.
AlloFresh offers over 150,000 SKUs and provides delivery within 3 hours with the quick commerce feature boasting the ability to deliver as quick as 30 minutes across the country.
The launch of AlloFresh will help strengthen Bukalapak’s position as the online-to-offline (O2O) platform in Indonesia. Bukalapak will also provide the needed technology.
Thailand’s juice company Tipco has introduced Tipco ABC Juice featuring the popular beauty recipes of Korean women. The new 100% juice drink taps into the K-food trend. Consumers can improve their skin complexion by drinking Tipco ABC Juice made from three superfoods popular in South Korea namely apple, beetroot and carrot.
A – Apples are rich in dietary fiber. Help the stomach and aid in excretion
B – Beetroot is rich in antioxidants and substances that help blood vessels to expand, making the skin shine bright
C – Carrots are a great source of important nutrients including beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K, potassium and antioxidants.
Tipco ABC Juice (180ml) comes with the healtheir choice logo. It is available at 7-Eleven for a price of THB 18.
Srinanaporn Marketing Public Company Limited (SNNP) has received the approval from its board of directors for the setting up of a subsidiary to operate the business of manufacturing and distributing products under the company’s brand in Indonesia.
SNNP International Company Limited will hold a 85% share in the proposed unit, which is still unnamed, while the partner will have the remaining 15% share. SNNP, which makes Jele, Bento and “Lotus” chicken leg snack, is currently in talks with the partner.
The registeration date of the new entity is expected in September 2022. SNNP plans to set up a factory in Indonesia to make jelly products with commercial operation to start in Q1, 2023.
SNNP currently mainly sells Jele Beautie in Indonesia and positions the drink with collagen and vitamin C to improve skin complexion and enhance the body’s immunity. Jele Beautie is currently sold in Indonesia’s biggest minimarket chain Indomaret. The company registered a 77% year-on-year growth in sales in Indonesia in 2021.
In another development, SNNP is expected to commision its factory in Binh Duong, Vietnam in July 2022. The new factory will produce Jele Chewy, Jele Beautie and Lotus in phase one. Bento will be made in Phase 2.2 commissioning in Q3, 2023.
L-Right: KPJ Healthcare Berhad Deputy General Manager (Group Strategic Communications) Juliana Jamaluddin, ATLAS Vending Head of Marketing & Ancillary Business Amy Gan, ATLAS Vending CEO Santharuban Thurai Sundaram, KPJ Healthcare Berhad Corporate Manager Noor Hafizan Mohd Noor, YB Senator Ras Adiba Radzi (front), CEO KPJ Ampang Putri Muhammad Badri Hussin (far left)
ATLAS Vending now capable of making retail points accessible to 41.4% of persons with disabilities in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, 1 March: ATLAS Vending, in collaboration with OKU Sentral rolled out Malaysia’s first series of Accessible Vending Machines today, with KPJ Healthcare Berhad (“KPJ Healthcare”) as an exclusive hospital partner for the launch, which will see the Accessible machines available at selected KPJ hospitals, Pusat Daya Klang and Pusat Latihan Perindustrian dan Pemulihan Bangi.
Launched in conjunction with International Wheelchair Day today, the Accessible Vending Machines are custom fit with features such as wheelchair and height accessibility as well as larger coin tray for those with limited motor control, in addition to being equipped with electronic payment features.
Speaking at the launch of the Accessible Vending Machines, Senator and co-founder of OKU Sentral YB Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi said, “We are heartened with the thoughtful business plan demonstrated by ATLAS Vending. This is a good example of woke corporatisation in which organisations think about lowering the barrier of inclusion of individuals with disabilities in their business models and inventions”.
Championing a more inclusive Keluarga Malaysia, Datuk Ras Adiba also commented that all aspects of human rights and fundamental freedoms including the special needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups must be respected.
“According to a UNICEF report, there are about 4.5 million individuals with disabilities in Malaysia. With greater accessibility, we would enable millions more Keluarga Malaysia to be more efficient economic contributors. It creates independence, social integration and enables individuals with disabilities the opportunity for independent living within the community besides improving quality of life,” said Datuk Ras Adiba.
“In an accessible Keluarga Malaysia, people can care for themselves and live independently. This will also support active ageing. Thus, reducing the burden of cost for special care, which will benefit all levels of society,” added Datuk Ras Adiba.
Speaking about ATLAS Vending’s commitment to dispense delights through innovations in order to create a more inclusive Keluarga Malaysia, ATLAS Vending Head of Marketing & Ancillary Business Amy Gan said, “The brand aims to progressively create better accessibility for members of community with special needs by enabling them to gain access and improve their purchase experience.”
With the roll-out of the Accessible Vending Machine today and the Braille-enabled vending machines last year, ATLAS Vending innovations today has the capacity to make retail points accessible to individuals with physical disabilities and the visually impaired. This makes up 41.4% of persons with disabilities in Malaysia.
“In line with our social responsibility pillar of creating accessibility with our innovations, we hope to be able to continuously contribute to the retail sector by bridging the gap of disabilities in Malaysia. Last year, the brand collaborated with Malaysian Association for the Blind to roll out 10 Braille-enabled vending machines at LRT stations close to Brickfields, Klang Valley,” added Amy Gan.
This time around, OKU Sentral was chosen as a fellow collaborator in providing advice and reviewing the machines to ensure that they cater to the special needs of individuals with disabilities.
The special features include buttons that are located 60 and 95 centimetres from ground level, 26 cm coin tray instead of ordinary coin slot and dispensing tray that is about 60 cm from the ground level as approved by OKU Sentral.
Meanwhile, KPJ Healthcare’s Chief Corporate Officer, Ariesza Noor said, “As a private healthcare service provider, our ultimate goal is to help patients to return to healthy and independent lifestyles. We believe that by placing the accessible machines at our selected hospitals, not only are we enabling purchasing of beverages for patients with physical disabilities more convenience, but we are also moving one step ahead in our journey towards encouraging patients to returning to independent living”.
“Vending machines are typically used to enable consumers to purchase goods 24 hours a day and eliminate queues at retail outlets. Our involvement in this pilot is with hope that we can inspire other brands to consider making their products more accessible to this group of Keluarga Malaysia with such innovations,” added Ariesza.
Monday 28 February 2022 – SIG Combibloc, an aseptic carton solutions provider signs an agreement along with 50 leading organizations to champion EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) in Thailand, organized by the Thailand Institute of Packaging and Recycling Management for Sustainable Environment (TIPMSE).
This agreement opens an opportunity for public and private sectors including producers, distributors, customers, collectors and recycled factories as well as academic institutions and NGOs to jointly recycle packaging under the BCG Model (Bio-Circular-Green Economy).
Mr. Vatcharapong Ungsrisawasdi, Country Manager, SIG Thailand, cited that “This model of cooperation shall facilitate SIG to communicate with all parts concerned toward the process of recycling cartons under the governmental support in order to develop sustainable packaging management in accordance with circular economy”.
By signing this agreement, SIG as the producer shall firmly step on Way Beyond Good roadmap with responsibility in recycling beverage cartons under EPR concept toward sustainability of circular economy.
Physical and environmental wellness top of mind ahead of 3.15 Consumer Day
KUALA LUMPUR, 28 February 2022 – Shopee Malaysia data indicates that Malaysians are better adapted to feeling joy and showing appreciation to themselves in a post-pandemic world.
More Malaysians are going online for their self-care needs, according to shopping data observed by Shopee Malaysia. Since the pandemic began, demand for products that help shoppers improve their well-being, reward themselves, and reduce stress has increased by 6 times on the platform.
In 2021, Shopee has found that physical and environmental wellness rank among Malaysians’ top needs when shopping online. In particular, 42% of products bought focused on physical wellness, 26% environmental wellness, 25% social well-being, with the remaining for psychological and spiritual wellness.
“These findings highlight how Malaysians’ preferred ways of taking care of their well-being have evolved over the last two years, signaling the rise of new opportunities for self-discovery and personal growth. We are pleased to have been able to support Malaysians every step of the way, to help them discover what they need,” said Kenneth Soh, Head of Marketing Campaigns at Shopee Malaysia.
Malaysians are putting physical well-being as their top priority. Compared to 2019, Malaysians were 6 times more interested in purchasing items related to eating well, exercising, personal grooming, and personal hygiene. Personal grooming items were the most popular subcategory for physical self-care, with approximately one-third of these consisting of skincare products such as face masks, face scrubs and peels, makeup, facial oils, essence and serums.
Malaysians’ appear to be prioritizing more environmental self-care by creating healthier living environments, because demand for home improvement, decoration, and home organization increased the most at 10 times in the last two years on Shopee’s marketplace since 2019. For example, DIY supplies, fragrance and candles, artificial flowers and plants, wallpapers and wall art, shelf racks, desk organizers and storage baskets. This may not be surprising as many people would have had to reevaluate their living spaces if they spent more time working, home-schooling, or pursuing indoor related hobbies at home.
Looking at social well-being growth trends, Malaysians demanded 5 times more products to educate or nurture babies and pets in the last 2 years. Items sold related to pet supplies grew the fastest in this category, with pet toys, pet grooming, pet fashion, pet homes and pet accessories increasing 13 times from 2019 to 2021.
Shopee has also seen Malaysians gaining higher interest in learning new skills and cultivating hobbies such as reading, journaling, playing board games, and playing musical instruments, which provide a form of digital detox and promoting better psychological self-care. Items sold related to such hobbies have since grown an impressive 6 times in the last two years.
Malaysians are also embracing self-care offline, using digital payments. For the full year 2021 compared to pre-covid 2019, the adoption of ShopeePay, Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet, for self-care categories orders increased the most for sports and outdoor products, games, books and hobbies, and health and beauty. The highest uptake was for games, books, and hobbies, with a 60 times increase in adoption.
KUALA LUMPUR, 28 February 2022 – 7-Eleven, Malaysia’s largest convenience store chain, is collaborating with the travel and lifestyle platform for everyone, airasia Super App, to introduce a partnership that benefits passengers, delivery partners and drivers of airasia ride, airasia xpress, airasia food and airasia grocer.
Through this partnership, passengers of the fastest growing e-hailing provider by airasia Super App, airasia ride will be able to select one of the more than 1,800 7-Eleven stores across Malaysia as their preferred pick-up point when they book their next ride. While waiting for their rides to pick them up, passengers can also purchase any 7-Eleven coffee at RM1 off (except at 7 Café). New airasia ride passengers can also find a special discount code at the bottom of their 7-Eleven receipts to be used for their first ride on airasia ride.
In celebration of the partnership, drivers and riders of airasia ride, airasia xpress, airasia food and airasia grocer will also be rewarded with a total of 711 cups of free coffee that will be redeemable at any 7-Eleven outlets on 28 February. For three months starting 28 February, drivers and delivery partners can also pick up a coffee at a special discounted price.
Amanda Woo, CEO of airasia Super App said, “We are proud to partner with 7-Eleven to offer great deals for our customers and especially our delivery partners and drivers. Serving the underserved underpins the airasia brand, and we are always looking for innovative collaborations and partners to reward our dedicated drivers and delivery partners with more benefits. We feel that this mutually beneficial partnership with 7-Eleven will not only satisfy our drivers, delivery partners, and passengers, but also drive more traffic to 7-Eleven outlets across the country.
“We hope that our drivers and delivery partners will take advantage of this initiative to enjoy refreshments at 7-Eleven and be at their physical peak at all times. Making sure they stay happy and stress-free has always been one of our top priorities as we treat them not as employees but as valued partners. We encourage high spirited individuals who are looking to start a new journey with us as a driver or delivery partner with airasia Super App, or to receive a side income opportunity with our delivery and e-hailing services, to reach out to us as well.”
Those interested to join the airasia ride Allstars family may sign up by downloading the airasia ride driver app or visit this page to register. Individuals who are interested to be a part of the airasia delivery team can sign up via this page here.
Sharing the same sentiment, Chin Hor Wai, 7-Eleven Malaysia’s General Manager of Marketing said: “By partnering with airasia Super App, we strive to provide further convenience as airasia ride passengers are now able to choose selected 7-Eleven stores across Malaysia as their preferred pick-up point. We are particularly excited about the breadth and depth of this partnership with airasia ride as it reinforces our position as the undisputed leading standalone convenience retailer in providing the best and ultimate convenience experience for our customers as well as airasia passengers alike.”
“Through this unprecedented collaboration, we aim to work towards making things convenient for both our customers and airasia ride passengers as we live up to our motto of Always There For You,” added Chin.
airasia ride drivers will also have the added advantage of leveraging one of the strongest airline brands in Asia, to better serve customers travelling to and from the airport. Guests on AirAsia flights now have the option of booking their rides upon purchasing their flights, allowing drivers to secure more jobs in advance and can plan their trips more efficiently and productively. They will also have real-time information on passenger arrivals, enabling drivers to have better time management by reducing waiting time, resulting in the ability to make more trips, and earn more.
On top of that, drivers take 85% of the net fares (excluding toll charges), higher than other e-hailing providers in the market, making it a viable part-time job option and side income opportunity. Fares on airasia ride are set based on fair pricing, which takes into consideration what our guests can afford while still compensating for any extra travel time caused by heavy traffic.
More promotions and special offers for airasia ride will be available soon, so stay up to date by following @airasiasuperapp on Instagram.
KUALA LUMPUR, 28 February 2022 – Gamers rejoice! The long-awaited popular game pins are now available at 7-Eleven stores. Whether you are a PUBGM player or multi games player on Steam and MyCard, you can now get direct pins in various denominations from 7-Eleven stores nationwide.
Steam Wallet codes are available in six denominations, RM5, RM10, RM20, RM50, RM100 and RM200, whereas PUBG Mobile codes are available in PUBG Mobile 300+25UC (RM22), 600+60UC (RM44), and 1500+300UC (RM110.10), respectively. What’s more, you can also get MyCard reload code in six denominations, MyCard 150pts (RM21), 350pts (RM49), 400pts (RM56), 450pts (RM63), 500pts (RM70), and 1,000pts (RM140), respectively.
Hurry up, head over to your nearest 7-Eleven store and get your game pin reloads today! For more information, please visit www.7eleven.com.my or its official social media pages at 7ElevenMalaysia.
Hopes Malaysia supports the underprivileged rural communities in Sabah through sustainable means
KOTA KINABALU, 28 February 2022 – Civil society organisation, Hopes Malaysia introduces a new take on meeting the needs of underprivileged communities through sustainable development projects. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the non-profit organisation invested their time and efforts into community development work with a sustainable twist to enable a self-sustaining lifestyle for individuals and families in Sabah’s rural communities.
The cycle of poverty among rural communities remains a great challenge in many countries, and Malaysia is no exception. The first of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. The pandemic has led to the rise of poverty for this generation, with governments stepping in to provide short-term measures. In Malaysia, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) revealed that the number of poor households increased to 639,800 in 2020 as compared to 405,400 pre-pandemic. Among all Malaysian states, Sabah recorded the highest percentage of poor households (25.3 percent).
Founder and Executive Director of Hopes Malaysia – Sam Lee
Hopes Malaysia stepped up to address this gap by introducing long-term solutions, deploying a team dedicated to developing the underprivileged communities in Sabah. Sam Lee, Founder and Executive Director of Hopes Malaysia, said, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. When we first started Hopes Malaysia, we studied how local charities would operate and strongly felt that ‘charity’ should not be a one-off thing. Instead, we should focus on making long-term changes. Hence, we started Hopes Malaysia to break the cycle of poverty with the aim for rural communities to sustain on their own in the long run.”
Gravity Water Project
The Sabah rural communities are facing a common issue, whereby remote villages are disconnected from the public water systems and do not have reliable water sources. This poses a difficulty, especially for villagers who make a living through farming as they had to depend on inconsistent rainwater and mountain streams. Hopes Malaysia saw a need to improve the water systems and provide the farmers with a reliable water source.
Launched in 2016, Hopes Malaysia introduced the Gravity Water Project and have successfully built seven gravity water systems so far, comprising 30 kilometres of piping systems, connecting clean water to various remote Kota Belud villages and benefiting more than 8,000 rural villagers. Additionally, the team also empowered the villagers by training the farmers to maintain and repair the systems, ensuring that the community will have a consistent water supply for generations to come.
As a result, the farmers at the Kota Belud villages have been able to grow various local fruits and vegetables, sell the produce and generate consistent income to sustain their families for the long run. The Hopes Malaysia team also played a role in educating the rural farmers to provide balanced diet meals for their families by introducing them to fish and poultry farming. The community will now be able to consistently harvest 70 kilograms of fish monthly and 60 chicken eggs daily to make a living.
Tamu Kita Benefit Bags
When the pandemic hit in 2020, the Kota Belud farmers faced many challenges due to travel and lockdown restrictions, making it difficult for them to sell their fresh produce. At the same time, with the economic downturn, Hopes Malaysia team also received word that many B40 families, children’s homes and disability centres were also having a hard time sourcing donations and food supplies. Hopes Malaysia saw an opportunity and launched the Tamu Kita Benefit Bags initiative in partnership with HEINEKEN Malaysia. The organisation bought the extra produce from the Kota Belud farmers with funds from the HEINEKEN Cares campaign and distributed them to those impacted by the pandemic.
Corporate Affairs and Legal Director – Renuka Indrarajah
Renuka Indrarajah, Corporate Affairs & Legal Director for HEINEKEN Malaysia said, “We are proud of what Hopes Malaysia have achieved, and we would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation for giving us an opportunity to work hand in hand. This initiative was part of our HEINEKEN Cares programme, where we partnered with eight civil society organisations and successfully delivered 255,000 meals to communities in need in 2021. All of us at HEINEKEN Malaysia look forward to continue fostering meaningful partnerships and effectively playing our role in the communities we serve.”
Through this initiative, Hopes Malaysia successfully funded the purchase of fresh produce from the farmers consistently for four months, which had improved up to 50% of the farmers’ monthly household income at the same time distributed more than 50,000 kg of produce to vulnerable communities throughout Sabah. The initiative has also enhanced food security for its beneficiaries while ensuring no crops were wasted.
June and Sam with the Kg.Bokilong village farmers, many of whom provided their vegetables as food aid
Sam Lee concluded, “We would like to extend our gratitude to HEINEKEN Malaysia and we hope that more corporate businesses will see our value in developing Sabah’s rural communities towards practical and sustainable change. These communities are in urgent need of basic necessities and food security. Hence, we aim to empower villagers with sustainable long-term benefits and gradually break through the poverty cycle.”
Urban school family recipients receiving food aid
Hopes Malaysia places high value in their CSR partnerships to create a lasting, sustainable impact for the underprivileged. By focusing on crucial SDG goals within this Decade of Action, Hopes Malaysia aims to work together with like-minded organisations to make an impactful, sustainable and long-term change that improves the quality of rural life for generations, bridging the poverty gap in Malaysia. For more information on Hopes Malaysia and how to get involved, please contact Aaron at pr.hopesmalaysia@gmail.com or visit www.hopesmalaysia.com/ourwork.
1980 Boom Cha Brew, the Malaysia-based kombucha maker, is promoting kombucha as a cooking ingredient. The company encourages consumers with gastric problems to replace their vinegar, which is acidic, with kombucha. The founder of 1980 Boom Cha Brew Yazra Nadia Yahya went live on Facebook on 23 February 2022 to demontrate cooking with kombucha with the dish Ayam Masak Bali.
1980 Boom Cha Brew is a premium handcrafted Kombucha beverage that aims to pour kindness by spreading goodness to your gut.
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